Mp-40 Submachine Gun

[Villemus]

A few friends of mine have Class 3 weapons, and they both have MP40s. I've fired each of them several times, my own ammo of course, and they are sweet.

Very controllable and accurate, I was surprised how easy they were to fire. Or maybe because I fired a BAR earlier.

[GNehring]

What about the STEN? It wasn't pretty but it was cheap (maybe too cheap) to produce, easy to shoot, convienet caliber and not prone to jamming. I have fired a STEN (and a Sterling), lots of fun and super easy to strip and clean. You have to watch for that big bolt spring, if you're not careful you end launching the darned thing across the room! I haven't fired one in adverse conditions, aka in battle but I would like tohear from anyone who has used any of the above mentioned SMGs in a combat senario.

If the "chips were down" which would you choose and why?

Which SMG in your minds had the greatest impact of subsequet SMG design?


Greg

as always excuse the typos

[sappernz]

The Australian Owen submachine gun was a ultra reliable weapon as well.

[morse1001]

Originally posted by GNehring@Jan 31 2005, 04:18 AM
What about the STEN? It wasn't pretty but it was cheap (maybe too cheap) to produce, easy to shoot, convienet caliber and not prone to jamming. I have fired a STEN (and a Sterling), lots of fun and super easy to strip and clean. You have to watch for that big bolt spring, if you're not careful you end launching the darned thing across the room! I haven't fired one in adverse conditions, aka in battle but I would like tohear from anyone who has used any of the above mentioned SMGs in a combat senario.

If the "chips were down" which would you choose and why?

Which SMG in your minds had the greatest impact of subsequet SMG design?


Greg

as always excuse the typos

Quoted post

I've fired the sterling smg on numerous occasions and agree about the spring!

As for the Sten, it is said that easiest way to spot the German copy was that they were better made!

[morse1001]

Originally posted by sappernz@Jan 31 2005, 09:54 PM
The Australian Owen submachine gun was a ultra reliable weapon as well.

Quoted post

they were still being used by the Aussies in Vietnam

[laufer]

Originally posted by armourersergeant@Oct 28 2004, 10:00 PM
it could take a drum Thompson like magazine and also a slightly bent thin mp40 magazine. It could reputedly keep firing under all circumastances, water, cold, dirt etc.

Quoted post

Its high rate of fire (900rpm) and 71 rounds drum magazine made it an effective weapon in close combat. PPSH41 was often use by Chinese troops during Korean War. I wonder the opinion of Allies?

[morse1001]

Its high rate of fire (900rpm) and 71 rounds drum magazine made it an effective weapon in close combat. PPSH41 was often use by Chinese troops during Korean War. I wonder the opinion of Allies?

the War Office manual "The Soviet Army - organisation and tactics" carries no opinion of the ppsh1 However, amongst the troops it was highly prized.

The sten was used by both the Chinese in korea and the Viet Gong during the Vietnam war!

[Edward_N_Kelly]

Originally posted by spider@Oct 31 2004, 11:33 PM
I believe that an Australian soldier on the Kokoda Track in PNG used an MP 40. The soldier had brought it back from the Middle East.

Quoted post

Got any more infor/source ?

Australian Parabellum ammunition was "hotter" than German so would have caused problems are prolonged use....

Cheers
Edward

[Edward_N_Kelly]

Originally posted by sappernz@Jan 31 2005, 09:54 PM
The Australian Owen submachine gun was a ultra reliable weapon as well.

Quoted post

Extremely well designed, made to a budget that allowed them to be built like the proveriable "brick outhouse" and could fire for as long as you could feed it ammunition under extreme conditions.

I have fired it - very interesting muzzle climb...

Testing to see if it could take extreme conditions including placing it and sever magazines with no protection in a slurry of mud (to simulate jungle conditions). They were well stirred in it, left to lie there for half an hour. They were removed and shaken twice (that is two up and down movements - not particularly sharp). Magazine placed on weapon and fired both auto (3 rd bursts) and single shot (trigger manipulation). When that mag was empty it was replaced with its companion and then that was fired in auto (3 round burst) until expended.

The Owen was not wanted by the Australian MGO - he preferred the Austen (a bowlderised amalgam of a MP38 bolt and spring cover and Sten main parts with a few Oz ideas - turned out looking like the Sten Mk5 over a year before that was developed). It was fragile, suffed from the same magazine feed problems (weak spring, soft lips) and could not stand up to the conditions.

It required political intervention to get the Owen to the troops (who had wanted it any way they could).

(The reason that Australia developed its own SMG was due to need to replace th TSMG they had been using. They had to purchase these and their ammunition (NOT Lend Lease) and could not afford to keep buying it (the ammo). A 9 mm ammo line was comin into production for pistols (Browning HP35 for China - it just never got there) so they thought of a 9mm SMG. They could not get drawings but had a Mk2 as a pattern plus a MP38 captured in Crete that had come back for evaluation so like much of the equipment made in Australia it was done from effectively a zero base with no or little help from the "mother country"- cf tanks, artillery, optics, radar, etc)

Cheers
Edward

PS also fired Austen - hated it.

[sappernz]

Here is a question that I know the brains here will answer.
I am the proud owner of a Charlton.
Some one tell others what it is.